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Secondary glaucoma is caused by a variety of eye diseases in which the angle of tearing is blocked (e.g., due to excess pigment accumulation, exfoliation of the lens capsule). The damage is usually irreversible and consequently leads to a significant deterioration of eyesight, or even its loss. The development of glaucoma may often be influenced by age or family predisposition.
What is secondary glaucoma?
Secondary glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve and retinal cells due to eye diseases leading to blockage of the tidal angle. This type of damage is irreversible and causes visual impairment or even complete loss of vision. Secondary glaucoma can also be the result of a defective growth of vascular-fibrous tissue (e.g. uveitis or diabetes). Other causes of secondary glaucoma are abnormalities in the development of the iris and lens anomalies.
In secondary glaucoma, the following classification exists:
- secondary angle-closure glaucoma,
- secondary open angle glaucoma.
SECONDARY CLOSED ANGLE GLAZE
Secondary angle-closure glaucoma occurs due to problems with the proper drainage of fluid from the eye into the trabecular canal. The stagnation of the liquid causes that it begins to increase in volume over time and accumulates under the iris, which in turn causes the pupil to bulge and to high pressure in the eye.
Secondary angle-closure glaucoma is caused by various factors:
- abnormalities in the area of the eye lens,
- anterior uveitis,
- ailment of the front part of the eye,
- the presence of a ciliary-iris-lenticular block,
- abnormal development of blood vessels in the area of the iris and in the angle of filtration.
In addition, abnormal drainage of fluid may be due to the presence of: nodules, adhesions, exudate, or a blocking epiphysis of the iris. Secondary angle-closure glaucoma can also be caused by subluxation of the eye lens after some sort of injury or surgery performed around the eyeball. Diseases and diseases that destroy the iris and cornea also contribute to the development of the disease.
The most common form of secondary glaucoma is neovascular figureresulting from diseases such as diabetes, arterial disease or narrowing of the vertebral and cervical blood vessels.
SECONDARY OPEN ANGLE GLAZE
Secondary open angle glaucoma results from abnormalities in the area of the outflow tract of the aqueous humor. Pathological changes occur in the structure of the trabecular canal and the construction of further sections of the outflow of the liquid.
Causes / types of secondary open angle glaucoma:
- Pigmented Glaucoma – This is a very common type of secondary open-angle glaucoma. It is characterized by blocked fluid discharge due to the release of melanin. Pigmented Glaucoma causes high intraocular pressure;
- phacolytic glaucoma – occurs in the course of cataracts of an overripe lens. Then the drainage of the fluid is difficult due to the penetration of the lens proteins into the liquid and because of the macrophages, whose task is to get rid of the proteins;
- capsular glaucoma – characterized by exfoliation of the lens capsule. Then the drainage of the liquid is blocked by the presence of amylodium deposits due to defective epithelial cells. This kind of disturbance causes abnormalities in the structure of the trabecular canal.
In addition, secondary open-angle glaucoma can occur as a result of uveitis if the tissue is scarred.
Another type of secondary glaucoma can be hemolytic glaucoma (eye hemorrhage) or glaucoma caused by injury to the eye. In these two situations, the drainage of the fluid is blocked because too many blood cells build up.
Read also: Glaucoma
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